Dial-positioning and yarn-feeding mechanism eos dial knitting machines



Dec. 13, 1927.

DIAL Fun L FLUNlNG 1,652,500 R. w. SCOTT AND YARN FEEDING MECHANISM FOR DIAL KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 30, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lwuemwv' Dec. 13, 1927. 1,652,500

R. w. SCOTT DIAL POSITIONING AND YARN FEEDING MECHANISM FOR DIAL KNITTING MACHINES Filed June so, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet P Patented Dec. 13, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT W. SCOTT, OF BABYLON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T SCOTT AND WILLIAMS, XNG, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.. A CORPORATLON OF MASSACHUSETTS.

DIAL-POSITIONING AND YARN-FEEDING MECHANISM FOR DIAL KNITTING MACHINES.

Application filed June 30,

This invention relates to improvements in knitting machines of the type having means for making stockings or other articles of hosiery with properly coordinated exchanges of the knitting yarns, or the inclusion of additional or auxiliary yarns, or both. and specifically to an improved machine of this type also adapted to make integral inturned welts.

In my Letters Patent Nos. 1,256,062, dated February 12, 1918, and 1,282,958. dated October 29, 1918, I have explained a satisfactory mechanism for taking and holding nights of yarn internally of the knitting needles for the purpose of making a welt,

of such a nature as to ermit the proper clamping and severing, o Withdrawn yarns, such as exchanged yarns, or a splicing yarn, above the dial or holder for the transfer bits or implements employed to hold the bights for welting purposes and above the cap or cam carrier for working these instruments, and also adapted to permit the passage of runs or floats of certain yarns beneath the dial.

Additional or auxiliary yarns employed for splicing, or for making thickened-Wale structures like those of my Letters Patent Nos. 1.256.834, dated February 19, 1.918,

1,267,126, dated May 21, 1918, and 1267,1527, dated May 21, 1918, are also floated beneath the instrument dial during theoperation of including: them in the fabric, and withdrawn, severed and clamped above thedial-cap carrying the operating cams when their function 1s completed. The withdrawn yarn for the ordinary yarn changes is severed and clamped ready for reentry above the dial When knitting fabric for a welt, it is expedient to dispose this fabric within and beneath the dial by the operation of a presser instrument bearing on the fabric between the loops or bights held by the transfer bits or instruments and the course being knit by the needles, for instance as shown in my said Patents Nos. 1,282,958, and 1,256,062. .VVhen the instruments in the dial take and withhold bights or loops, it is desirable that their \ert ical position should be as near the knocking-over line or position of the forming knit course as possible.

I or the purpose of floating yarns beneath the dial or the operation of a welt-presser on the one hand, and for the taking of bight-s or ation. and thereby to provide for making a tmuster-course with shorter and less not1ceable loops; to provide for increasing the clearance undi-r the dial and transfer-bits during the operation of the welt presser; to provide for incr asing the gap between the vergesol' the needle-cylinder and dial for the purpose of providing room or the introduction of a thick or hemy yarn while making a tliickencd-w ale s, ructurc or mock-seam; and to provide simple and ctlicient automatic means capable of easy attachment to and cooperation wiih the other mechanism. A further object is to provide a mechanism for these purposes for raising and lowering a dial coordinately with the motions olf yarn guides cooperating with the needles to enter and remove yarns, and coordinately with means for severing and clamping the with drawn yarn.

in the accompanying drawings showing preferred mechanism, as specific instances only;

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through the needle cylinder of a machine correspond ing to my Patent No. 1,282,958, illustrating one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an explanatory enlarged detail showing transfer bits or welting instruments, a web-holder! and needles;

Fig. I is, section on line 33 of Fig. 5, some of the parts being removed, showing one type of mechanism for positioning the dial and its adjuncts;

Fig. 4 isn' plan illustrating the parts shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. Sis a section partly in elevation taken from the ri ht-liand side of the device shown in l ig 3: and

Fig, 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing; a modification.

As in the patented machine. of which partsareshown in Fig 1, the needle cylinder 260. the web holder bed 300 for the web- (iPTS w, and the transfer or welting instrunest dial 4 are ararnged to rotate in unison, )l't'ffii red devices for this purpose including, ne t shown in Fig. 5, a. vertical shaft n the 1' re me of the machine driven from the main shaft (not shown) which in turn drives he need e cylinder 260. Shaft 33 is provided with a pinion g meshing with a gear g". for rotating the horizontal countershaft 2. in arn provided with a pinion driving a bevci gear 1, now splined at. g to the vertical stem 3 of the dial 4. The ratio of the gears d 'iving the shaft 33 and of the gearing {1 12 and g. is such as to turn the dial 4. in unison with the motions of the c -xiinder 526i}.

in the pateruicd machine, the bearing for the stem 3 may comprise a bracket- 1 having a bored vertical bearing sleeve 8 faced at the top to support the hub of gear g and having a lower reduced portion upon which the bored central bo s 6 of a dial cap 5 finds an exterior bearing for vertical movement. Rotary nmven'ient of the cap 5 restrained by appropriate means, such as the vertical stud 10 passing through a hcle 11 in bracket 1 and attached at the bottom to cap 5 and at the top to an arm of plate 13 having a bearing hole for the Spindle 3, upon which it is retained by a cap it and screw 15 fast on and rotating with the spindle 3. Plate .3 provides or carries a limit stop fixing the downward limit of motion of the spindle stud l0. dial 4 and cap 5 otherwise permitted by the spline y pretei ahlv this stop is an adjusting screw it; in a nolc in plate 13, having a locknut 17, and having a point projecting bemath the plate to bear on supporting means adapud to carry the weight of the parts.

"the vertical position of dial 4, spindle l, rap 5 and stud t0 automatically ad jnstahlc, preferably by movement of the supporting means; as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and, 5, the supporting means comprises a sliding rain. bar 2i extending transversely spimlle 3 and movable in a slot 20, H PlfiKNlPtl in! it in the gear-casing K lined on the bracket 1. The upper surtare of slide bar 21 is l'ori'netl into steps for screw It as shown a high step a. an intermediate step 7)., and a longer low step 0, connected by cam inclines. Motion of slide bar 2.1 will thus result in lifting or loweriv v the dial and its adjuncts to different ievels. adjustable by turning screw 16, and in ln'ilding these parts iiXed by gravity at level determined by the lateral position b the slide bar 91 is left. As shown, the iial naay he so moved from one to aner or left in any of the positions for a "eu point represented by the, levels I, II ll ill, F I 3, corresponding respectively on the steps a, b, and 0.

I have devised means foreraising and lowering the dial and leaving it at the desired level by the pattern-controlled connections which are employed to work the yarn severing and clamping means. thus at once avoiding an additional pattern-operated connection and securing proper coordination between the yarn-feeding, severing and clamping means and the means for positioning the dial and its adjuncts.

The severing and clamping means shown comprises a guide clamp 7 for the withdrawn idle yarn made as a lever resting on the upper surface of the dial cap 5 and adapted to be positively opened to receive yarn by motion about its pivot 9 in an ear of the boss 6, whenever the movable blade 25 of the severing device is opened by turning the blade 25 about its pivot 26 on boss (3. The clamp and the blade are opened by moving to its lowermost position a wire link 27 connected at one end to blade 5 and at the other end to a shackle Q5 pivoted at 29 on the inner end of arm 61] of an actuator lever till pivoted at 612 on the latch-ring 550. Lever (ill, as heretofore, is moved by one of the series of thrust-bars 460 worked by cams 121 or 122 on the pattern-drum 120 which determines the times of yarn-feeding and other motions of parts of the machine. Motion of lever 611 takes place to depress link 27 and open the clamp and severing blade whenever it is necessary to receive a yarn withdrawn byditting one of the yarn lingers F (to carry the withdrawn yarn above the cap 5 and into the opened clamp and severing means) as explained fully in my said Patents Nos. 1.282.958 and 1,256,062. Arm 611 of lever 611 is pressed upward by a plunger 34 and strong spring 31 in a bore 32 in bracket 1.

In order to improve the yarn-feeding and withdrawing function of the parts, I pro-,

vide that motion of the dial cap and dial downwardly to a low position shall occur preparatory to every exchange, entry or withdrawal of yarn. This position enables the various yarn feed instruments to deliver their yarns upon the yarn-holding and delivering platform defined by the upper surface of dial cap 5 by a shorter motion upward of the yarn'guide or finger; this position also causes the yarn. when it is so withdrawn. a'lter rotation of the fabric in respect to the dial cap to pass above this platform through a. lesser angle or at an earlier time than heretofore; and this position further enables a yarn to re-enter upon the needles while the held end is at a low oint in relation to theneedles and webolders. The accuracy of leaving and of reentry of yarns at the needles is thus increased by positioning the yarn at a more favorable angle, and by causing deeper; entry between the needles by a shorter and uicker downstroke, and withdrawal by a snorter and quicker upstroke of the movable yarn finger, than could be the caseif the yarn were received and clamped, or delivered, from a higher level.

Slide- 21 may be connected in any convenient way to lever 611; as shown, a shouldered pivot screw 35 is adjustably locked in sector slol 36 of an upward extension 611 of lever 611, and takes into a hole in one end of slide 21.

In the preferred forms shown by way of illustration, spring 31 is capable of moving the lever 61-1 and slide 21 strongly enough to lift the dial and dial-cap and other parts carried by the spindle 3 by the motion of the cams on slide 21 under the screw stop 16. Normally, screw 16 rests on the high part a of the slide 21, and the dial and its adjuncts are lifted to position 1, Figs. 1 and 3. The dial. may be lowered to position II prior to opening of the-severing blade 25 and clamp 7 by lifting the thrust bar 460 through a lesser distance than that required fully to depress link 27, by providing cams 122 on drum 120 each having a preliminary ste d high enough to move the step b of slime 21 under screw 16. The dial may be lowered to the lowest position III preliminary to opening the blade 25 and clamp 7 by providing a cam 121 with a preliminary step 2 higher than step d of cam 122, and. capable of moving slide 21 to bring its step a under screw 16. At the cam 121, the dial retains its lowest position III until further motion of drum 120 brings the high part of cam 121 under the thrust-bar 160 and the operation of either cam 121 or cam 122 re sults in first opening blade 25 and clamp 7,

and in thereafter, as bar 460 runs off the cam,

closing these parts to sever and clamp a arn introduced while the dial is in one of 1.15 lower positions and in then lifting the dial to its normal high position. The cams 122 need not be different from cams for working the severing and clamping means employed in the machine of my Patent No. 1,282,958, and may as heretofore, be placed on drum 120 in alignment with other cams on the drum for moving other thrust-bars 460 to Work a pair of the yarn-fingers F to enter one whose yarn has been idle and clamped under clam 7, and then to withdraw another finger As explained in my said Patents Nos. 1,256,834, 1,267,126 and 1,267,127, an additional or auxiliary yarn for making thickened wale structures may also at times'in the operation be fed from another position than the delivery position of the yarn-fingers F, and this additional auxiliary yarn mav also be received when withdrawn be- -a'ea'ih ,the guiding clamp 7 and severed by the blade 25. The auxiliary yarn may for instance be fed from avers-eye in a varn bights.

the yarn platform on the top of cap 5 is favorably positioned for entering a new yarn, or for a yarn-change. This position is reached without having opened the clamp 7 to free the yarns: opening the clamp 7 and blade 25 does not occur until slide 21 has moved to the right, Fig. 3, to bring screw 16 on the step (2, when the parts are in their lowest position 111. The step c on slide bar 21 being elongated, as mentioned above, bar 21 can slide under screw 16 without altering; the position of the dial and cap. The parts now remain in the lowest position 111, screw 16 remaining on step 0 until the reverse movement of slide bar 21 occasioned by thrust-bar 460 running off the cam 121 or 122 has been in part completed during motion of ste 0 past screw 16; during this time the witidrawing finger F will have lifted its yarn, the relative motion of the fabric will have carried the withdrawn yarn under clamp lever 7 and blade 25, and these parts will have been actuated to clamp and sever the yarn before the completion of movement to the left of slide bar 21. returns the parts to position I.

A low position for the dial 4 and cap 5 is particularly desirable when the transfer bits T are to be positioned as shown in Fig. 2 to receive bight-s of yarn between some of the needles. It is advisable on this occasion to' position the yarn receiving parts T of the bits T as near the knocking over line defined by the uppcr arm of web-holders w as possible, so that the least draught possible upon the yarn follows feeding it to both the needles and the hooked ends Tof the transfer bits '1.

With the above-descrihed devices, this iseffected by placing a cam 121 on drum v at the place represented by the time for the advance outwardly of the bits T to take The step e of this cam 1.21 moves the dial and its adjuncts downwardly to the lowest position III in time with or previous 'to the adjustment of a. cam A of my said patented machine on cap .-5 for moving 7 out the,bits T, and retains thei part-s in tfhis p ition during at least one course. (11 ercnt yarn is employed for this course, the cam 121 also serves 'to workthe severing and clamping means for this 'yarn; if this yarn is a yarn to be knit for following fabri'c. for instance to make the fabric for a welt, it will not be withdrawn. and actuation of the clamp and severing means by the highest part of can) 121 wi l occur idlv, no yarn having been thrown into the lamp and severing means to he clamped or severed.

The dial 4 can he lowered to position 111 during actuation of the. hits '1 for the above and other purposes without interfering with the nel'i'holders '1 since the wave of projection of the hits 'I by cam A occurs at the place of a wave of withdrawal of the webholders for their normal action resulting from the etfect of normally positioned webholder withdrawing cums forming a part of my said patented machine.

Referring now to Fig. 1, when the bights of yarn have been hung upon the transfer bits T to make an inturned welt, it. has always been custou'iary to introduce a thin blade P, under the stress of a light spring, between the cylinder and dial: this blade presses tl1e fabrie inward away from the needles until after the welt knitting is well started. Room to pass this blade under the dial has heretofore been provided by lixing the dial at a higher point than otherwise necessary.

It will be observed that the normal position I of the dial according to the present invention is amply high enough to admit the blade P and the welt fabric under the dial. The blade P may be introduced at any time after the passage of cam 121 past thrust-bars 4-60, and may be withdrawn by suitably moving its operating thrust-bar 463 to permit lowering the dial for a yarn change at any time thereafter, and may be again introduced if desired.

When the yarn-guide t is operated to introduce its yarn t for a thickened-Wale structure, the normal high position of the dial clears a free space between the verge of the cylinder and the upper edges of the webholders amply wide to permit the yarn t, which is usually a heavy and thick yarn, to sweep nnobstructedly in this space and beneath the dial.

When one of the fingers F is operated for splicing, the normal high position of the dial is similarly of advantage in removing the verge and lower face of the dial upwardly beyond reach of the floating run of th splicing yarn thrown across the width of the cylinder at each course.

While the deseribedconstructions are preferred, it will be plain that similar advan tages may be secured by modified forms. Fig. 6 illustrates one of these, in which the lever 611, otherwise constructed and operating as above described, is provided with an integral cam arm 611 replacing the slide bar 21, and having for this purpose steps a, b", c, concentric with the pivot/612 and joined by1 cam inclines, to take under and support irectly the screw 16 in a suitable extension of the plate 13, and thereby to control the vertical position of the dial, the dial-cap and their adjuncts. In thisform, the point of application of the dial lifting and supporting means may he duplicated by proi'iding an adjustable collar- 40 on 96nd 10 to take over a pin 41 on arm 611" of lever 611, the steps a, Z), 0 being separated by radial distances from the center 612 conforming to the vertical displacement of pin 41 when the lever 611 is swung on the pivot 612 through the angular distances between the respective steps a, b. 0. Motion in response to spring 31 is thus applied at both 41 and 16.

In either form of the device, an adjust able collar 42 on stud 10, Fig. 6. may be appl d to limitthe lowest position of the dial and its adjuncts by contact with bracket 1.

. It will now be readily understood that the invention is independent. of the, particular machine in connection with which I have elected to describe it.

The dial 4 and dial-cap 5, for instance, may well he, instead of the illustrated parts, the corres 'mnding parts of any type of machine for knitting ribbed fabric, or partly ribbed and partly plain fabric. and having for these purposes knitting needles in the dial and their appropriate adjuncts, instead of or in addition to the transfer implements T shown. Cooperation of the means for uraisin and lowering the dial and the means for feeding and withdrawing yarn in such machines is important in the same way as in the'illustrated species; and in such rna chines, the devices herein described for raising and lowering the dial are applicable and independently useful when knitting tubular welts, making loose courses .or shogged work, changing the gauge of the fabric and for other purposes, whether or not these uses are associated with changes of yarn.

I claim:

1. A knitting machine having needlesfa. dial and means adapted to be" positioned to feed yarn to the needles and moved to Withdraw the yarn from feeding contact with the needles, in combination with means for automatically raising and lowering the dial in relation to the operative position of the yarn feeding means, and means for operating the means for feeding yarn during the operation of the machine.

2. A knitting machine having therein needles and a yarn-feed guide movable respectively to feed yarn to and to withdraw the yarn from the needles,,holding means for withdrawn yarn, and means for lowering the position of the yarn holding means coordinately with the operation of the yarn feed guide. 3. A knitting machine having therein a circle of needles and means for feeding yarn to and withdrawing yarn from the needles, yarn holding means for withdrawn yarn within the needles, and means for altering the level of the yarn holding means in respect to the needles and the yarn feeding means coordinately with operation of said yarn feeding means.

4. A knitting machine having therein needles, a dial, means above the dial for receiving a withdrawn yarn, means for entering yarn upon and withdrawing yarn from the needles, and means for shifting the position of the dial and said receiving means to alter the relation of thereeeiving means to the yarn at the time of withdrawal.

5. A knitting machine having therein needles, a dial, and a cap therefor, means above the dial cap for receiving a withdrawn yarn, means for entering yarn u on and' withdrawing yarn from the nee es, and means for shifting the position of the dial cap and said r Qeiving means to alter the relation of the jeceivi g means to the yarn at the time of',\vithdrawal.

6. A knitting machine having therein needle a dial, means above the dial for receiving and holding a withdrawn yarn, means fgr entering yarn upon and withdrawingfljmrn from the needles, and means for vertically shifting the position of said receiving andjholding means to alter the relation of the receiving and holding means to the yarn at the time of entry into the receiving and holding means.

7. A knitting machine having therein needles, movable yarn feeding means, and means for holding a withdrawn yarn behind the needles in combination with means for moving the yarn holding means to one position to receive a withdrawn yarn, and to another position to permit freedom of motion for a yarn floated behind the needles at times in the operation.

'8. A knitting machine having therein needles, a dial, movable yarn feeding means, and means for holding a withdrawn yarn behind the needles and above the dial in combination with means for moving the dial and the yarn holding means to one position to receive a withdrawn yarn, and to another position to permit freedom of motion for a yarn floated behind the needles and under the dial at times in the operation.

9. A dial knitting machine having therein, in combination, means for manipulating yarns, automatic means for operatingthe yarn manipulating means at predetermined times, and automatic means for raising and lowering the dial co-ordinately with the operation of the yarn manipulating means.

10. A dial knitting machine having therein means for severing and clamping yarn at a point above the dial, yarn feeding means actuated at predetermined times, and means for actuating the severing and .clamping means coordinately with the yarn l'eeding means, in combination with means cooperating with said mechanism to alter the level of the dial to aid the operation of the yarn feeding means in respect to delivery of the yarn to the severing and clamping means and the needles respectively.

11. A dial knitting machine having there in means for severing and clamping a withdrawn yarn at a point above the dial, and means for feeding a thickening-Wale yarn adapted to be severed and clamped by said means when withdrawn, in combination with means for normally holding the dial in In elevated position to afford clearance beneath it for said yarn and means for lowering the dial coordinately with withdrawal of said yarn for severing and clamping.

12. A dial knitting machinehaving therein means for severing and clamping a withdrawn yarn at a point above the dial, pattern controlled means adapted to open and close the clamping means, and means operated by said pattern-controlled means for changing the level of the dial preparatory to actuation of said clamping means.

13. A dial knitting machine having therein needles and means for severing and clamping-a withdrawn yarn above the dial, yarn feeding means adapted to deliver yarns to the needles, to fioatcertain yarns behind some of the needles, and to withdraw yarns for entry into said severing and clamping means, in combination with means for automatically actuating said yarn feeding clamping and severing means for said purposes, and means cooperating with said automatic actuating means to'rais'e and to lower the dial respectively during the yarn-floating and the yarn-severing and clamping operations.

14. A dial knitting machine having therein means for severing and clamping a withdrawn yarn, a movable connection for operating said severing and clamping means,

means for supporting the dial,'and means,

having a part movable by said connection for altering the position of said supporting means.

15. A dial knitting machine having therein means for severing and clamping a. withdrawn yarn, a movable operating connection, means for supporting the dial, and means having a part movable by said connection for alterin the position of said supporting means uring one part of the motion of said connection, the severing and clamping means being operable by said connection during another part of said motion.

16. A knitting machine having therein a latch-guard structure and a dial and dial cap supported on the latch-guard structure, means for rotating the dial and pattern controlled means having a movable element III spindle free to move axially 1n bearing on an attachment of the latch-guard structure for altering the plane of rotation of the dial and the position of the dial cam in respect to the latch-guard structure during operation.

17. In a knitting machine having a rotary dial and driving connections therefor, a driving and supporting s indle for the dial movable in respect to e driving means therefor, an actuator lever, and means worked thereby for variably limiting the position of the spindle and dial against downward stress thereon.

18. In a knitting machine having a rotary dial and driving connections therefor, carried by a latch-guard structure, a driving and supporting s indie for the dial movable in respect to the driving means therefor, an actuator lever pivoted on the latch uard structure, and means worked thereby or variably limiting the ition of the spindle and dial against ownward stress thereon.

19. In a knitting machine, a needle cylinder, a dial and supporting and driving means for the dial comprising a vertical dial t to its driving means, a plate bearingon t espindle confined against axial movement thereon, a stop on the plate, a cam bearin on a relatively fixed art having steps or the stop, and means or adjusting the cum to deter mine different levelsfor the dial.

- 20. A knitting machine having therein a needle cylinder and needles and means for making fabrics thereon having welts comprising a dial, instruments in 'the dial for taking and holding bights, and means for actuating the instruments, a presser adapted to be' entered between the cylinder and dial at the time of makin a welt, and means for moving the dial to :1 0w position for taking big'hts and to a. higher position for entrv of the presser.

21. A knitting machine having therein a needle-cylinder and needles, web-holders and means for retracting the web-holders in a wave, and means for making fabrics thereon having \velts comprising a dial, instru ments in the dial for taking and holding bights, and means for projecting these instruments to take bights in a Wave coincident With the wave of retraction of the web'- holders in combination with means for lowering the dial and instruments to a plane coincident'with parts of the web-holders during the bight-taking operation, and for subsequently raising the dial.

22. A knitting machine havin needles, a dial and means adapte and lower the dial in stages corresponding to desirable positiens of the dial and adjuncts carried thereby in relation to the motions of varns fed to the needles and with drawn ,tierefrom, in combination with a main pattern surface, yarn feeding means, and connections from the pattern surface for moving to and holding the dial in an appropriate stage of its positions in consonance with the automatic actuation of the yarn feeding means controlled by said pattern surface.

Signed by me at New York, N. Y., this 29th day of June, 1920.

therein ROBERT W. SCOTT.

to raise 

